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Talk:WM/Clues
Original rumors from other delvers ;Firefly A pixie tribe lives near the Obsidian Lake. They're hostile to non-faeries but in desperate need of trade goods. The Standing Stones are a powerful magical site, located in the Paljanna Mountains. The Outrider's don't go into the old keep at Kirkengard, because the entire place is trapped. Nothing lives inside, of course. If you climb the Ettinheads due west from Firhill, you'll find the Standing Stones on the first peak. Verskloft used to be a tower on the shores of Lake Surl, but it sunk years ago. ;Thasos The Outriders have fought several skirmishes against orcs in the Durgan Hills southwest of the Sylwood Forest. Lightning Terns fly west of Surl Lake. They must nest near there; their eggs are valuable magical components. An elven lich lives in a mystically warded valley in the wooded part of the Durgan Hills. Caravans don't stop in Kirken Canyon, because the unsanctified undead come out at night. The head of the Polisberg Miner's Guild secretly practices necromancy on top of the Ettinheads. ;Marik Anyone who sees the Standing Stones at sundown will be cursed. There are invisible, one-way gates that randomly teleport people a dozen miles or more at a time. There aren't any on the Silk Road, but navigating the rest of the West March can be tricky. Before the Mage Storm, it only took 3 days to row from one side of the West March to the other. A grove of silver yew, the ultimate material for elven bowstaves, grows in the forest south of Obsidian Lake. The Outriders will pay 100 silver bounty to anyone who brings a giant crab shell from Mudcrab Cove to the Westwatch. ;Shell(e)y In the center of the West March, south of the Govia Plains, is 4-Points Tower. A magical scale map of the entire West March is inside, but only the greatest wizard can get it. The Outriders have fought several skirmishes against orcs in the Durgan Hills southwest of the Sylwood Forest. The Old Man of the Woods is actually a cannibal and murderer. Beware his panther! Caravans have been attacked by bandits in the area beyond Kirkengard. A ghost ship sails out of the Citadel of the Storm Dukes and through the Mage Storm, engaging in acts of piracy all along the north coast of the West March. Pirates have been abducting fishermen and holding them for ransom. Someone has been stealing from the Outriders' supplies at Kirkengard. The Outrider's don't go into the old keep at Kirkengard, because the entire place is trapped. Nothing lives inside, of course. When Verskloft was overrun during the Orc Wars, the treasury was never looted. Dozens of hyrdas live in the Hydra Forest. 4-Points Tower sits on the Storm Coast, just east of the Fens of Despair. A great magical artifact is stored inside. Mana storing crystals grow in the Crystal Lakes and are greatly prized by spell-casters. The Outriders have fought several skirmishes against orcs in the Durgan Hills southwest of the Sylwood Forest. The head of the Miner's Guild secretly practices necromancy on top of the Ettinheads. Mud golems live on the north shore of Shining Lake, guarding a powerful wizard's treasure. His control wand is lost somewhere in Sylwood Forest. A dragon in ensorcelled slumber lies beneath the Steam Downs. The one dry tunnel in the center of the Downs leads to his lair. Kirken Canyon is famous for its secure campsites, especially on the eastern edge. ; Beltarne Mana storing crystals grow in the Crystal Lakes and are greatly prized by spell-casters. The Kirkengard well leads to a secret tunnel to the treasury. Vojak Delouhakopi knew of a way into the mysterious 4-Points Tower, located somewhere near Obsidian Lake. The old tower of Verskloft stands southwest of Polisberg in the Knotten Downs, near the central lake. Vojak Delouhakopi reached Verskloft by going through the Storm Pass and west around the Gray Mountains, then following a river west out of the Durgan Hills. He never explored it, though. ;Wolfgang Mud golems live on the north shore of Shining Lake, guarding a powerful wizard's treasure. His control wand is lost somewhere in Sylwood Forest. The ever-clouded peak of the Great High One hides a monolith of solid silver. Orc tribes live in the Gray Mountains, past the reach of the Polisberg Outriders. A magic portal can transport people between the cellars of Westwatch and a basement in the Sudsgate smithy. The Outriders don't go into the old keep at Kirkengard, because the entire place is trapped. Nothing lives inside, of course. ;Artegal The Outriders will pay 700 silver to anyone who brings a giant crab from Mudcrab Cove to the Westwatch. The mystic Steel Blade was recovered by a mad faerie and taken south of Obsidian Lake. The Standing Stones imprison a rich princess south of Kirken Canyon. On the southeast end of the Sweltering Swamp, a single hill rises out of the swamp. The Standing Stones are on top of it. Midway down the Storm Pass, the track forks to the east and stops at a cliff. The Standing Stones are at the top of the cliff. The arcane Standing Stones are southeast of Kirkengard in the mountains. Vojak Delouhakopi found the Standing Stones at the highest point of a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides after climbing out a canyon. The Kirkengard well leads to a secret tunnel to the treasury. Dieth Manor can be seen from the tower at Kirkengaard, but its been uninhabited for years. The motto of the Dieth family was "Mercy to the weak; Ruin to the foe." The family armor of the Dieth is inlaid with obsidian and gold. It was lost when the family manor was abandoned. ;Torvall Some say that the famous Foxfolk Paladin Scydd Silverblade died on top of the Ettinheads, trying to destroy some ancient evil there. The head of the Miner's Guild secretly practices necromancy on top of the Ettinheads. Scydd Silverblade grew up in the southern West March, under the shadow of the eerie 4-Points Tower. He came to Polisberg to try to find a way in, as it has no doors. 4-Points Tower sits on the Storm Coast, just east of the Fens of Despair. A great magical artifact is stored inside. Kirken Canyon is famous for its secure campsites, especially on the eastern edge. The priests of the Eightfold Path are looking for someone to harvest the Sacred Golden Rice from where it grows beyond Kirkengard. A dragon in ensorcelled slumber lies beneath the Steam Downs. The one dry tunnel in the center of the Downs leads to his lair. A tribe of man-eating reptile men live on the Obsidan Lake near the 4-Points Tower. They are vicious pirates, and have the riches of many plundered ships. Other Stuff ;The book found by the goblin's cave in the pass The ruined book is written in the Northern Trade Tongue but transliterated into the Jazykesky script - characteristic of Vojak Delouhakopi's journals. The fragment describes a method for opening the east door which requires an apparatus of gold and silver (plans given, looks expensive), a great deal of rare herbs and incense (Thasos recognizes many of them, and they would cost around $500 and weigh a few lbs in total), and a pint of lycanthrope blood. The last line mostly legible line is "Legend has it that yokai ruled from Ve" but the rest is too blurred to be read. Research before the second trek ;Kalless the crazy druid A delving band including a druid named Kalless left Polisberg through the South Gate two years ago and was never heard from again. They were heading for the Earth Foci Circle in the south Durgan Hill, lost 200 years ago when the area was overrun in the Demon Wars. Some magic and holy items were concentrated at the Earth Foci Circle when it fell and where not seen later in the Demon Wars. Kalless' group also did extensive research into the Crystal Lakes high in the western half of the Gray Mountains, known for producing magic crystals that store mana. They purchased extra ranged weapons for that part of the trip. About 15 months ago, the Outriders began seeing the Storm Pass hill goblins wearing a new symbol on their shields. They also began upgrading their gear, apparently trading with the orc slavers in the west Durgan hills. Those goblins also began carrying more potions and employing more cunning traps, often with herbal components. ;The pixies by obsidian lake The pixies are a xenophobic tribe, ruled by the dark Sidhe princess Baile Mordred. No one carrying steel weapons is allowed in her presence. The pixies live in the Aitsyldub, a large copse of faerie trees in a high mana zones in the midst of the Ait Thickets. The entire area is patrolled by the pixie's ensorcelled antmen servants. Treating these automans brusquely and to the point is the best way to get through their charm-addled brains. All sorts of fae creatures live in the Aitsyldub, including fae panthers: their pelts are highly favored in Polisberg fashion and can fetch several pounds of silver. Manavores and other Elder Things are also a problem in the forest. The pixies used to trade with Polisberg. They wanted tiny furniture, refined ore, books, and high quality alcoholic beverages, generally worth around $5/lb. There's a merchant down by South Gate who is selling a big sack of the stuff! ;Scydd Silverblade Scydd was a foxfolk paladin who delved in this area about 5 years ago. He died in Calad Haven, on the north shore of Obsidian Lake south of the Aitsyldub. The road to Larston through the Graywoods used to lead nearly straight to Calad Haven, but the bridge across the Shining Lake is almost certainly out. Getting to Calad Haven without walking on water requires circling the Lake: going west through the Durgan Hills is likely faster than going through the Graywoods. Scydd was prepared to deal with faerie creatures of the Aitsyldub, who often ventured out into the Ait Thickets. He carried the great elemental weapon the Steel Blade, which was bound to his tormented when he was killed. The lich of his killer, Samuel the Black, roams the south shore of the lake and would have to be dispatched in order to release Scydd. ;Mud Demon village The old logging town of Larstown was located on the north shore of the Shining Lake. The outriders have seen Murkmocks, a form of corporeal demon made of mud, near the town but have avoided them. The mayor of Larstown had several pounds of gold buried under his house when the town was overrun by demons. Murkmocks are somewhat similar to mud golems, but real mud golems are a straightforward magical automaton, if a bit crude. They were common in the Obsidian Lake region during the Demon War, as they were quick to make and effective against demons. The golems are almost immune to damage, except silver and silvered weapons cut their magical bonds with ease. As silver is toxic to most demons, the demons had no effective offense against the golems. ;Necromantic activity in the Ettinheads The Ettinheads are a pair of tall mountain peaks next to Firhill. A colony of giant 2-headed eagles lives high on the peaks, but the Militia is not set up for mountain climbing and hasn't dealt with them. The eagles mostly hunt small animals in the immediate vicinity, and aren't much of a threat, though Firhill shepherds claim that some sheep are lost. There is a shrine somewhere on the hill, believed to be of a Lost God of the Sun. Brave pilgrims sometimes ascend to the heights. The Outriders have reported seeing a few undead in the area around Firhill, and are considering an expedition higher up the sides. A verified report of any threats in the area would be rewarded. Research before/during the 4th Trek ;White Pines This dwarven town in the mountains was well known for its fertile fields until it was overrun and destroyed by demons. The demons raised most of the victims as zombie undead in an unholy rite that also enslaved elements. Ice zombies, fire zombies, earth zombies, and wind zombies were the most common, and all had various and dangerous ranged attacks. The village was only accessible through a narrow pass blocked by a high gate, and the gate was sealed and parts of the pass collapsed to hold the zombies in. ;Kirkengard Kirkengard was built by humans and dwarvens to control local traffic through the Kirken pass. It fell under the shadow of Crowspire and taken over by the Govian Counts. It was sacked and repaired repeatedly over the years. Kirkengard consists of a curtain wall with 2 towers and a gate house that surrounds a stone keep. The exterior walls are 20' thick and the walls of the keep are 6' thick. The main keep is abandoned because it is haunted by the ghost of a madman. The madman attempted to fortify the keep against the forces of the Orcish Il-khan with a serious of elaborate traps, but was killed. Between the traps and the ghost, it isn't worthwhile to go in. A few years ago, the haunting moved to the main well. After several outriders were killed by some kind of water spirit, the Outriders abandoned use of the well and switched to using one of the secondary wells. Midway down the haunted well, there are some loose stones that can be opened with a mystic sigil. That creates a passage that leads straight to the keep's long-lost treasury, avoiding the traps in the main keep. Aside from the payroll in the treasury, the other riches of Kirkengard include the Outrider's emergency food and medical supplies and more than two dozen pure silver arrows that have been loosed at the ghosts and never recovered. Several are lost in the well and the rest in the main keep. ;Verskloft Verskloft is an ancient tower, located southwest of Polisberg, on the shores of the Versk lake. The entire area is unnaturally fertile, due to some demonic bargain the Versk family made in the past. There are extensive tunnels beneath the tower, carved out during various sieges and assaults. The lords of Versk were shunned by Polisberg, and left to their own devices after the demon wars. They were besieged by the forces of the Orcish Khan but never conquered. After the Khan died, some of the greenskins continued to dwell around Verskloft, but the tower itself was never sacked. The Versk fortune of copper and gold coins remains within the treasury. Ancient Polisberg tax rolls value it at over $30,000. Outrider patrols have had many encounters with goblin wolfriders through the Versk area. They are relatively organized, armed with lance and bow, and have mostly forced the Outriders away from the area.